Product Lifecycle Management (PLM): Critical Issues and Challenges in Implementation - Information Technology and Product Development - page 80

5.2 The Influential Role of the Product Engineer

Typical business process enablement projects require that the implementation team
work closely with the office staff that is responsible for performing the business
functions being automated. These cross-functional business teams tend to be filled
with, for example, people from purchasing, order management, sales and marketing,
and inventory management. The people who fill these roles are dedicated profes-
sionals who work hard and have a very proprietary company perspective. But they're
not product engineers. Business representatives often drive demanding requirements
into the solution design and hold the implementation team tightly to the commu-
nicated project schedule. But they're not product engineers. Business transaction
experts carry a lot of clout with the executive team as they help manage the project
toward the best automated process solution to execute daily operations. But they're
also not product engineers.
Creating products that directly generate real revenue is extremely specialized,
difficult work that carries a huge responsibility. This responsibility lies with the
product engineer. Automating a company's product engineering efforts means that
the PLM implementation team is injected directly into the product development
processes - i.e., processes that help to differentiate a company from its competitors
by successfully developing and launching compelling new products into the market
place. As a result, the end user or “owner” of the PLM application and therefore
the primary contributor of solution requirements and the critical PLM project team
members are

... product engineers.

5.2.1 The Product Engineer: Experienced, Senior, Touchy, ...

A company's engineering community is a highly skilled group of individuals who
are in charge of delivering the next best product into the market place. The senior
executive team relies on these individuals to produce innovative, revenue-generating
solutions that drive the entire business operation. Working with product engineers in
a non-engineering capacity is extremely difficult, making the design, development,
and implementation of a PLM solution a study in patience and “non-destructive”
compromise.

5.2.1.1 Senior Engineers ... Too Many Cooks?

Any one who has ever watched The Discovery Channel's show called “How They
Build That” knows that the job of product engineering is a highly respected profes-
sion. Companies recognize how important these individuals are by creating special
organizational structures and often career paths to encourage the product engineer
to stay with the company, and just as importantly, continue working and progressing
as an engineer. With titles like Engineering Fellow or Engineering Scientist it is easy
to see the value that the company places on this role and on these individuals. These